Drain for suds boxes



July 14, 1942.

w. J. SIMONDS DRAIN FOR SUDS BOXES 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 7, 7, v C v z Filed April 24. 1941 July 14, 1942. w. J. SIMONDS DRAIN FOR S UDS BOXES Filed April 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE DRAIN FOR SUDS BOXES Warren J. Simonds, Orange, Mass, assignor to Rodney Hunt Machine Company, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Orange,

Application April'24, 1941, Serial No. 390,152

5 Claims. (Cl. 63-22) or the like machine, in which said means is tions, one in which the water is received directly in said element and carried off thru an outlet associated therewith, and one in which the water merely impinges on a surface of said element in a manner to be directed away from said outlet and into the tub; and the provision of a simple and effective suds box drain device for directing water squeezed out from the action of a pair of wringer rolls, into or out of a washing tub containing the rolls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to. be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a transverse vertical sectional view thru a machine embodying one form of the invention, and showing the parts in draining position;

Fig. 2 is a broken away view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts in position to direct the water, from the cloth being squeezed, into the tub;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification; and

Fig. 4 is a broken away view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in position to direct water to the tub.

In a cloth washing machine of the type disclosed the drawings, a tub I!) of any convenient construction is provided for reception of soapy washing water It thru which the cloth E4 in the form of a continuous string is constantly passed and repassed in the direction of the arrows. A guide I5 is used to direct the string from the water thru the nip of a pair of squeeze or wringer rolls l8, and a driven cleat roll or reel 2!] takes over the squeezed cloth and returns it to the washing liquid.

As long as the washing process is continued, the washing liquid may be reused, and hence it is desirable to return the squeezed out soapy liquid to the tub for repassage of the cloth. However, when it is desired to rinse the cloth,

the rinsing water should be drained out of the tub instead of returning to the washing liquid, to thereby carry off the dirt and flocks loosened during the washing operations, this of course tending to reduce the total washing time required. This invention provides a simple and effective non-clogging device which may be selectively positioned to direct the liquid coming from the squeeze rolls into the tub or to direct it to a drain outlet to pass out of the tub.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a drainage aperture or outlet 22 is formed in an end wall 24 of the tub, and a plate 25 or other convenient means is located adjacent this aperture to rotatably mount a receptacle 28. The aperture and plate may be duplicated at the opposite end of the tub, but a showing of this is considered unnecessary in the disclosure of the invention.

The receptacle 28 is here illustrated in the form of an L having a short leg 30 parallel to a longer leg 32 and rigidly connected thereto by an end element 34. The receptacle may be mounted on plate 26 which may be rotatable in the end wall 24, or any other desired or convenient rotary support for the receptacle may be provided. As shown, short leg 30, end 36, and the adjacent end of long leg 32 encompass the drainage aperture area and form a channel having a width equal to or greater than the diameter of the drainage aperture, whereby, with the receptacle in the angular position of Fig. l, the water flowing down from rolls [8 will impinge on the upper surface of leg 32 and run down into the channel to escape thru the drain outlet.

On the other hand, when the receptacle is pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 2, the water from the rolls will naturally flow down to the free end of leg 32, and drop off into the tub, while short leg 3!! guards the drain outlet and prevents escape of any of the liquid. Stops 33 may be used to locate the free end of leg 32 and thus correctly position the receptacle, while an axially movable pin 31 may be utilized to support it in the position of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the washing machine elements are all the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the selective drainage means is modified, In this case, a stationary suds box comprising two spaced inclined elements 38, 40 is secured to the tub end walls, the former element being at a steeper angle than the latter to tend to direct the liquid parallel thereto as it flows downwardly and passes thru the space between the elements.

A rotary plate 42 similar to plate 26 is provided to surround a drain outlet 44, and this plate mounts a cylindrical or the like shaped box 46 having a longitudinal slot 48 approximately the width of the space between elements 38, 40. The box 46 is selectively rotatable between the position of Fig. 3, wherein the slot 48 aligns with the space in the suds box, and the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein the slot is faced as shown, at 90 or more to the left from the space. It will be evident that the major force of the water flow is towards the right in Fig. 4, due to the relative inclinations of elements 38 and 40, and by turning slot 48 to the left, very little if any of the water will flow into the box and thru the outlet.

This invention contemplates some means outside the tub to act as a handle by which the boxes or receptacles 28, 46 may be turned, and downspouts or other devices may also be used if desired. However, such elements are matters of choice or convenience and do not affect the present inventive concept.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a tub, a washer or the like device in said tub, a trough or the like located below said washer device in the path of fluid descending therefrom, an opening in said trough to emit said fluid, and a receptacle located just below said opening and spaced from said suds box, said receptacle having an opening therein and being pivotally mounted to selectively present or fail to present its opening to said trough opening, and means associated with said receptacle to at all times direct fluid therein outside said tub, whereby said receptacle is selectively positionable to direct fluid from said washer outside of or to said tub.

2. In a textile washing machine, a tub, a pair of squeeze rolls mounted in said tub, cloth feeding devices arranged to feed cloth strings through said rolls, a liquid receiving drain box located beneath said rolls in position to receive liquid squeezed from the cloth by said rolls, a drain outlet associated with said drain box and communicating with the exterior of said tub at all times, said drain being effective to transmit liqrotatable to selectively position its liquid receiving opening generally upwards to receive liquid from said rolls and thus discharge the liquid out of the tub, and to selectively position its liquid receiving opening at a point Where said liquid will not be received in the box but will cascade down past the same to the tub, whereby rising liquid in the tub will be skimmed ofi, through said drain box and its outlet in any position of said drain box.

3. In a washing machine of the class described, a tub, a pair of squeeze rolls mounted in said tub, cloth feeding devices arranged to pass cloth through said rolls and to the bottom of the tub, a rotatable drain box located beneath said rolls, said box having a drain outlet therein communicating with the exterior of the tub at all times, said drain box having a liquid receiving opening at a side thereof so that it may be positioned to admit liquid from said squeeze rolls to discharge the same to the outside of the tub or selectively to prevent such admission, said drain box being effective to receive and discharge rising liquid in said tub to the exterior thereof at all times.

4. In a device of the class described, a tub, a pair of squeeze rolls in said tub, a trough located in fixed position beneath said rolls and generally parallel and equal in length thereto, a slot in the bottom of said trough, said slot extending substantially the length thereof, a drain box arranged beneath the trough, an elongated opening in said drain box corresponding substantially to said slot, said drain box being rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to said slot between positions wherein said slot and opening are aligned for passage of liquid from the trough into the drain box, and wherein said opening is out of alignment with said slot to prevent such passage, and a drain outlet leading from the drain box to the exterior of the tub.

5. In a device of the class described, a tub, a washer or the like device in said tub, a receptacle in said tub below said washer device in the path of fluid descending therefrom, a fluid outlet associated with said receptacle to direct fluid therein to a point outside said tub, said receptacle comprising a box-like element having a side wall and a bottom, said receptacle being pivotally mounted to selectively position said wall in different angular positions with respect to said washer device, said wall having a surface directing fluid to said outlet in one position and away from said outlet into the tub in another position of the angular adjustment of the wall, said receptacle being provided with a second side wall shorter than said first-named wall, and said fluid outlet being arranged within the mutual area of said walls and bottom.

WARREN J. SIMONDS. 

